Cole Gibsenhttp://www.colegibsen.com
Young Adult & New Adult AuthorTue, 30 Jan 2018 22:15:40 +0000enhourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4Pitch Wars is Cominghttp://www.colegibsen.com/uncategorized/pitch-wars-is-coming/
http://www.colegibsen.com/uncategorized/pitch-wars-is-coming/#respondWed, 19 Jul 2017 00:00:58 +0000http://www.colegibsen.com/?p=181Continue reading →]]>Hey there! Thanks for stopping by! Please excuse the dust and cobwebs on this site. During the next couple of months I’m going to be hard at work making this website a shiny, sparkling haven that even a unicorn would be proud to call home. I have lots of exciting book news to announce, including the sale of a brand new PARANORMAL YA. I can hardly believe I just typed the “P” word and the internet is still intact.

But I digress. I imagine you’re here for info on Pitch Wars, so let’s get down to it. First, let’s discuss the Scavenger Hunt. I’m a member of the RED team. I’ve BEEN a member of Pitch Wars in the past, but I’ve never BEEN a participant on the scavenger hunt. It’s BEEN so much fun. (Hopefully it’s pretty obvious what my scavenger hunt word is.)

Moving on…

If we’re just now becoming acquainted, I’m Cole Gibsen and it’s super great to meet you. I have published over ten book in both YA and NA. When I’m not writing, you can find me training dogs, sewing, or singing with my band. I’m repped, by the amazing Nicole Resciniti, who IMHO, is the best agent in the biz.

Now, enough about me, let’s talk about you–or at least find out if we’re a good match. This year I’m mentoring in Young Adult. My wishlist includes the following:

Fantasy, paranormal, or urban fantasy. Sorry, no contemporary for me this year.

If submitting a Fantasy, I’m looking for the setting to be immersive, it should almost be as much of a character as the MC’s themselves. (Think Harry Potter and Hunger Games–the settings were the heart of the books.)

I love dark paranormals and urban fantasies, but with quirky characters to break up the darkness (think Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any Joss Whedon project for that matter.)

Killer dialogue is going to win me over every time.

I love characters that make realistic decisions. If they’re making a dumb decision just for the sake of progressing a story, I’m out. I need to agree with every choice they make, as if it were my own.

ROMANCE, ROMANCE, ROMANCE. There, I said it. I love it. Can’t get enough. HOWEVER, no insta-love please. If it is an immediate attraction, I need that flame to gradually grow so the tension of the “Will they? Won’t they?” keeps me engaged. I am, admittedly, kind of a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope.

That’s it! If you have any additional questions, feel free to ask in the comments below. And for more mentor wish lists, check out the widget below. Happy hunting!

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]]>http://www.colegibsen.com/uncategorized/pitch-wars-is-coming/feed/0Life Unaware is Live!http://www.colegibsen.com/uncategorized/life-unaware-is-live/
http://www.colegibsen.com/uncategorized/life-unaware-is-live/#respondWed, 29 Apr 2015 16:21:39 +0000http://www.colegibsen.com/?p=172Continue reading →]]>You guys! I can’t believe this day is actually here. Life Unaware, the book of my heart, is finally in the world!

There are so many amazing things going on right now. For starters, be sure to jump on to any post in my blog tour for a change to win your choice of t-shirt from the To Write Love on Her Arms website here. Simply jump onto Twitter and search for Life Unaware and you’ll find one of many posts filled with interviews and goofy vlogs.

If you’re local, there will be a book release party and signing this Saturday at Main Street books in St. Charles, MO. from 2-4. There will be cupcakes. And books. What more could you want from life?

If you can’t make it, don’t fret! You can still order a personalized/signed copy here.

]]>http://www.colegibsen.com/uncategorized/life-unaware-is-live/feed/0It’s Here!!! Life Unaware Trailer Plus Chances to WIN!http://www.colegibsen.com/uncategorized/its-here-life-unaware-trailer-plus-chances-to-win/
http://www.colegibsen.com/uncategorized/its-here-life-unaware-trailer-plus-chances-to-win/#respondMon, 06 Apr 2015 17:21:31 +0000http://www.colegibsen.com/?p=166Continue reading →]]>I can’t believe we’re only a couple weeks away from the release of Life Unaware. Having been bullied myself, and also a sufferer of anxiety and panic attacks, writing this book was an incredible challenge. I’m not going to lie, while writing select scenes I was forced to revisit pain from my own past. It wasn’t easy, but man was it worth it. I feel like every page of this book is a page from my own personal therapy session.

So I was a little nervous when I got the email with the trailer attached. What if it set the wrong tone? What if it wasn’t what I imagined? But then I watched and, oh you guys, it’s absolutely perfect. I’m so excited to be able to reveal it to you.

Before I do, I want to let you know about a couple of opportunities Entangled Teen has going on right now for you to WIN a copy of life Unaware. First up, they’re running a Goodreads giveaway with three copies up for grabs.

Hooray! You’ve found my stop on the Spring 2015 YA Scavenger Hunt!

I’m Cole Gibsen. I write young adult and new adult fiction, compete in agility trials with my Australian Shepherd, and rock out in a band on weekends. My upcoming YA book about bullying, LIFE UNAWARE, will release April 28th, 2015. One small-known fact about myself, when I’m not writing I work as a jedi fighter pilot. True story.

On this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each participating YA author, you also get a secret number. Add up the numbers, and enter it for a chance to win a major prize–one lucky winner will receive at least one signed book from each author on my team in the hunt! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online until noon PST on Sunday, April 5th!

You can start right here or you can also go to the YA Scavenger Hunt “How to Hunt” Page to find out all about the hunt. There are Eight contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or both! I am a part of the RED TEAM–but there is also other teams and if you also enter their hunts you’ll have a chance to win a whole different set of signed books!If you’d like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, see the full list of prizes up for grabs, or if you get lost along the way, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt homepage.

Looking for my exclusive bonus content??? Somewhere on this blog hop, I’ve hidden an exclusive vlog of me and my buddy Jack. You are NOT going to want to miss that. You’ll have to follow the links at the end of each Scavenger Hunt Post. .

Before you go on though, check out the amazing author I’m hosting. But, first, a few rules.

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE

Directions: Below, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the red team, and then add them up (don’t worry, you can use a calculator!). Hint: the secret number will be BOLD.

Entry Form: Once you’ve added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by April 6th, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

Now that all the technical stuff is out of the way, I’ll introduce the author I am hosting on this hunt.

I am super excited to be hosting…

J.A. Sounders

Bio: J.A. SOUDERS is the author of the Elysium Chronicles (including RENEGADE, A DARK GRAVE, and REVELATIONS) and lives in the land of sunshine and palm trees where she spends her time writing about the monsters under the bed, day dreaming about living in an underwater colony, and failing miserably at playing video games.The book J.A. is showcasing on the fall hunt is:

In this conclusion to J. A. Souders’s thrilling, twist-filled Elysium Chronicles series, Evie Winters and Gavin Hunter return to the isolated, dangerous underwater city that they fought so hard to escape.

Back in Elysium at last, Evie has finally found her true self hidden under layers and layers of false memories implanted by the woman she knew as Mother. Thanks to the intervention of her father, she knows the horrible truth about Mother and her insidious plans for her city. With the help of the love of her life, Gavin, and her best friend, Asher St. James, she’s determined to free her people from the cruel dictatorship of Mother’s laws. But how do you free people who don’t know they need rescuing?

Working with the growing Underground rebellion, Evie tries to remove Mother from her position by force—with disastrous results. As the body count rises, Evie must find a way to save Elysium before Mother destroys them all.

Doesn’t that sound amazing? You have to put this book on your to-read list now! For more information about this book or to check out J.A. Sounder’s other books, check out her website. J.A. Sounder’s books are always amazing. I wonder if she’s working on a fourth, or even a 5th.

Now for the top-secret deleted scene.

I’m so excited to participating in YASH again and be able to promote the third and final installment in the Elysium Chronicles.

This is a scene from the original rough draft of REVELATIONS (book 2 of the Elysium Chronicles). The original draft of the manuscript was over 100k words, and I ended up cutting a lot. Despite this particular scene being one of my favorite scenes that I wrote for this book, it was decided after much thought and many, many discussions that it didn’t move the story along and it would have to go. But I’m excited to share it with you now.

In the original draft, The Surface was essentially killing Evie, so she’s extremely sick. She’s weak, hallucinating, and still has no idea who she is or where she came from. This particular scene takes place in Rush Lake City a few weeks after Asher and Evie’s arrival in Asher’s grandmother’s house.

Without further ado, I give you my favorite deleted scene from REVELATIONS:

***

The next night Asher pushes his head through the bedroom door and gives me a smile when I look over at him.

“Hey.” He walks to me before carefully sitting on the edge of my bed. “How are you feeling?”

He continues to gaze at me with the look that says he doesn’t believe me, but he doesn’t push it. But, still, it makes me angry and I push myself off the bed and start to limp over to the balcony. Before I can so much as take a single step, he’s right next to me. But he doesn’t offer to help me.

“Well, aren’t you going to help me?” I smile when I say it to lessen the bite.

He hasn’t done anything wrong. Not really. I’m just tired of being trapped. Tired of being helpless. Tired of being worried over, and petted and stroked, soothed by the others because they’re afraid for me. Afraid of me.

He laughs, which causes the tight ball of anger in my stomach to loosen.

“Nope. Last time I did that I got my head taken off. I enjoy it where it is, thank you very much.”

Even I have to laugh at that.

When I open the door, the cold takes my breath away, but I carefully make my way to the bench on the balcony and sit to stare up at the stars. The cold wind bites and snaps at my skin, but I don’t care.

“They’re not as pretty here.” It makes me sad. Everything here is so pretty, but the one thing that gave me joy back in the village isn’t here. They kind of remind me of myself with their faded lights, and I’m reminded that every day I’m fading. Slowly. Bit by bit.

He sits next to me, his hand resting on top of mine. I’m too tired to pull away and it feels so nice, I don’t really want to anyway. It’s the small comforts now.

“No, they’re not.” His voice is soft. “It’s all the city lights. They’re jealous of the stars, and try to drown them out.”

I know it’s not true, but it’s a nice thought. “You’re probably right.”

We sit side-by-side, both of us lost in our thoughts. I know something is bothering him, but I also know that he’ll tell me what it is. Especially if it has something to do with me. That’s one of the things I like about Asher. His unwavering honesty. No matter how terrible–or how difficult–he will always tell me the truth. Even when I don’t want him to.

My mind flits over to Gavin and my heart squeezes. Mother, I miss that boy. I miss that stupid little smile he gets when he looks at me and doesn’t think I’m looking. I miss the way just the touch of him makes my heart swell and how he looks at me like I’m the only one in the world. Or at least the only one that matters. I miss how he paces every time he’s frustrated, or trying to figure something out, or nervous. I even miss that he doesn’t tell me everything. Even as frustrating as it can be.

“Hmm?” I turn to face him. I’m numb now. I can’t seem to find the energy to care about the results, but for Asher’s sake, I try to force enthusiasm. “Oh. That’s great. Any news?”

“Nothing we don’t know already.”

I nod and turn my face back up to the stars. That didn’t seem all that bad, but Asher still acts like something is bothering him.

“The doctor wants to draw more blood tomorrow.”

I sigh, but nod. That’s not entirely unexpected, either. And again, I don’t really care. “Of course. Whatever he thinks is necessary.”

“Evie? Look at me.” His voice is still low, but there’s something in his tone that has fear pushing past the numbness.

I turn to face him, furrowing my brow.

“They want to study your nanos. They think that…that they might have something to do with you being sick.”

“My…nanos?” Nanos were what destroyed that town. What turned living, breathing people into rock and stone. My hand shakes and I frown even more as terror makes my heart kick in my chest. “I have nanos in me? How do you know?”

Another one of Gavin’s omissions. For a minute, anger chases the terror away. So, even though there’s bad blood between Asher and Gavin, Gavin still told Asher things about me. Maybe even everything about me. So, Asher was good enough to trust with my secrets, but not me.

When Gavin gets here, I’m so going to tell him exactly what I think about that, and then I’m going to demand he tell me absolutely everything. And if he thinks he can talk himself out of this one, he’s got another think coming.

But then I remember Gavin isn’t here. Isn’t coming. Ever. And that numbness returns, replacing the anger. Concealing the fear. And then I can only nod.

“Ah. I see. So are they like the ones that killed those people? Am I going to turn into stone like they did?”

Something like sadness flashes before his eyes and he stretches out his hand. Probably to take my hand, but I slide it out of reach.

He rakes it through his hair instead and tugs on the ends. “Yes. And no. It’s not the same kind, I guess. More…complex or something. They don’t really know, but they want to find out.”

“So…I won’t turn to stone?”

He shakes his head. “They don’t think so. From what Gavin said, they’ve been there a long time and were meant to help…not hurt. They just want to do more testing to see if they’re malfunctioning.”

I shrug, grateful for the numbness. Being numb is so much better than fear. Better than feeling your heart break into tiny pieces. Better than any of the emotions I could, probably should, be feeling right now.

“Of course. Whatever they think is necessary.” I’ve never really thought about how we all call the doctors ‘they.’ Never their names. Just ‘they.’ Should that bother me?

He sighs. “You don’t have to worry.” He grabs my hand and squeezes it before I can pull away again. “I’ll be there for you. I won’t leave you by yourself. I promise.”

For a minute, a spark of anger ignites in me, as I remember Gavin saying that in the village right before the trip. I can’t stop myself from saying, “I’ve heard that before.” I turn away from him, as self-pity pricks at my heart. “But it’s a lie. It’s always a lie.”

His hand jerks on mine, but I don’t look at him and I don’t apologize.

Embarrassed and hurting, both physically and mentally, I push myself away from Asher.

“I’m sorry. It’s not your fault. I know that. It’s mine.” I stand. I have to get away from here. From him. I need to be anywhere but here.

I rub my hand under my running nose. “But he wouldn’t have had to protect me if I hadn’t been so weak. If I hadn’t been sick.” If I wasn’t still sick.

“Weak?” He laughs. “You think you were weak? Excuse my French, but you totally kicked ass! The way you took care of the two birds that came after us after basically being on death’s door the night before was like something out of a comic book.”

I lift my brows at him. I didn’t hear a word of French. “You make that sound like it’s a good thing, when all it does is make me a…freak.” That was one of Gavin’s little brother’s words. He’d never said it to me, and to the best of my knowledge he’d never said it about me, but it was a word he liked to use. A lot. I’d made him tell me what it meant once and ever since I’d known it applied to me. After all, who other than a freak wouldn’t remember anything of their past and dreams of monsters on a nightly basis?

And kill giant man-eating birds with their bare hands.

Anger flashes across Asher eyes and he pulls me back down so I’m sitting on the floor in front of him. He takes my face in his hands, forcing me to look at him. “You are not a freak. You hear me? Different doesn’t make you a freak. Different makes you special. And special is good. Special is what makes you you and I would never change a thing about you. You are amazing and wonderful and…perfect just the way you are.”

He’s saying it to make me feel better, but all it does is make me sigh and try to look away. “I wish people would stop saying that. Everyone is always telling me how perfect I am. How beautiful. How lucky I am to be perfect. To be this amazing, perfect person. But I’m not. I’m not amazing. Or wonderful. I’m not perfect. I’m damaged,” I whisper. I don’t even know how I know it or who told me that. Certainly no one here, but it’s true. It’s probably from my time from before here. The time I can’t remember. That proves I’m not perfect.

He stares at me for several long seconds, then takes my hand, and lifts me to my feet. “Come on. I want to show you something.”

“A-all right.” I’m a bit confused, but follow him anyway.

He leads me down the hallway to what appears to be a library. Along the walls are paintings–lovely paintings actually.

He turns to me. “Pick your favorite. The most perfect one you can find.”

Frowning, but intrigued enough to see where this is going, I study each painting carefully. I even try to take a step toward one, to examine it closer, but he holds his hand out to stop me.

“Just from here. We’ll look closer in a minute.”

Flattening my lips into a straight line, I go back to looking at the paintings. Finally I point to one. “That one. With the roses. It’s perfect.”

He barely glances at it. “It’s very pretty, but it’s not perfect.”

“Of course it is. Look how beautiful it is.”

He shrugs. “I happen to think that one over there is perfect.” He points to one that shows a nightscape and reminds me a bit of the creepy town with all the statues. It’s haunting and not something I’d consider perfect by any means.

“Do you agree it’s perfect?”

I shake my head slowly.

He nods rapidly. “Exactly!” He continues before I can question him. “Now lets look at yours closely. Shall we?” He pulls me over to the picture of the roses, while confusion rolls around in my head.

“What do you see?”

It’s still the picture of the roses, but I’m sure that’s not what he wants me to say. There is obviously something there besides the roses, so I look closer.

But I can’t find anything. “The paint is cracking?” I finally say.

“Yes! And, if you look closely enough, you’ll see it’s fading in spots. There are flaws all over it. Look here,” he points to a large ding in the frame of the picture. “It’s even damaged a bit.” He turns to me. “Does that change how you feel about the picture? Or is it still perfect to you?” He looks me in the eyes, but I’m still confused. “My favorite painting is the same way, but it’s still perfect to me.”

And then it hits me. It’s taken me a minute, but I finally understand what he’s trying to tell me. There is no perfect. His perception of perfect and mine are different. Everyone’s perception of perfect is different. And the best part of all of it–the part that makes me feel as if a weight has been lifted–is knowing that like the pictures that are still perfect to us despite their many minor flaws, he can still think I’m perfect. No matter how broken I am.

***

I love bonus material! If you think this series is just what you’ve been looking for, you can buy your copies here.

Thank you so much for visiting my website! Since you’re getting to know me, you should totally check out #OneVoice–the anti-bullying awareness Facebook run by Entangled Publishing. It’s definitely something you’re not going to want to miss.

If you’re looking for the next stop on the hunt, all you have to do is go here. Good luck!

]]>http://www.colegibsen.com/uncategorized/its-time-for-the-2015-spring-ya-scavenger-hunt/feed/3Win an ARC of Life Unaware!http://www.colegibsen.com/uncategorized/win-an-arc-of-life-unaware/
http://www.colegibsen.com/uncategorized/win-an-arc-of-life-unaware/#respondWed, 21 Jan 2015 15:00:00 +0000http://www.colegibsen.com/?p=145Continue reading →]]>I’m super excited to start a brand new news letter where I’ll be unveiling subscriber only SUPER SECRET NEWS, never before seen book related content, as well as subscriber only contests with amazing prizes!

In honor of my BRAND NEW NEWSLETTER, I’m holding a Rafflecopter contest with tons of prizes! One lucky grand prize winner will receive an ARC of Life Unaware (releasing April 28th, 2015 from Entangled Teen). And many other winners will receive secret prizes from my shelf of super awesome secret prizes!

All you have to do is sign up for newsletter using the link below, fill out the Rafflecopter form (also below) and viola! You’re set!

]]>http://www.colegibsen.com/uncategorized/win-an-arc-of-life-unaware/feed/0Dealing with Anxiety, Depression, and Writer’s Blockhttp://www.colegibsen.com/uncategorized/dealing-with-anxiety-depression-and-writers-block/
http://www.colegibsen.com/uncategorized/dealing-with-anxiety-depression-and-writers-block/#commentsFri, 21 Nov 2014 16:42:31 +0000http://www.colegibsen.com/?p=134Continue reading →]]>I make no secret of the fact I suffer from anxiety, and this year has by far been the worst. At the beginning of the year I had several events happen all at once that increased my panic attacks from occasional to several a day. My fear was paralyzing to the point I became terrified to leave my home. I couldn’t breathe. I would shoot straight out of bed from a dead sleep, heart racing and skin slick with sweat. There was a mysterious lump in my throat I couldn’t swallow around. Food made me sick. There were sharp pains beneath my ribs. I went to the ER. I saw handfuls of doctors. I even had surgery. None of it helped.

So I decided to see a therapist. And even though it took months, food became enjoyable again. I could breath. The heart attack sensations went away. I felt confident leaving the house. I could write again!

And then some things happened. The curve balls that life occasionally lobs out began to hit me. Disappointments. *smack* Rejections. *thunk* And the ever-present feeling of failure that always seems to be lurking in the crevices of my mind. *wham. bam. kablooey*

Depression can feel like stagnant water festering inside.

The whispers, Why are you even bothering? You’re just going to fail. You suck and everyone knows it. You’ll never be as good as the rest of them. They’re only nice to you because they feel sorry for you. These whispers descended on my like a strange black cloud. And every time I tried to navigate myself out, I only wound up deeper inside.

I hurt my leg so I couldn’t run–which made for a great excuse to keep from leaving the house. I began to believe the voices. I stopped picking up the phone. I stopped answering emails. I stopped writing. I stopped caring because, really, what was the point?

And then I saw my therapist, and what she told me was too amazing to keep to myself. Everyone goes through dark periods, but it’s how we look at those periods that will affect the outcome. To me, my depression (and inability to work) was like a stagnant puddle festering inside me. The longer I sat idle, the more infected I became, the more the darkness spread, the more “ruined” I became. I became more and more sure that I would never write again because after all, writers write. And I certainly wasn’t doing that.

But my therapist explained to me that was the wrong way of looking at it. Instead, my depression made me a tiger. At this point I couldn’t help but laugh. I mean, how ridiculous. A tiger was strong, and I sure as hell felt anything but. After all, weren’t people who suffered depression weak?

No.

She explained that I was looking at things all wrong. I wasn’t weak, but I was a tiger crouching in the bush. My inactivity shouldn’t be looked at as stagnation, but rather a tiger, gathering his strength, watching, waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce.

A new way to look at depression–as a tiger crouching in the brush.

Not writing didn’t equal the failure I thought it did. Not writing can be productive in the watchful, restful way a tiger crouching in the brush is. I can use my non-writing time to rest, gather my strength, regroup, recharge, and plan.

Tigers can’t hunt 24/7. And it was ridiculous of me to assume failure meant not writing during every available moment of every available day. Absurd of me to compare myself to other writers who can write books in a week (so not me) and proclaim defeat when I couldn’t match their word counts.

This week I opened my laptop and, instead of staring blankly at the screen, my fingers are flying. My love of writing is back. Even though the voices of doubt are still there, they’re quieter. I feel refreshed. Focused. I know better to go forward thinking this is the way it will be forever. I’m still going to have my bad days, days where I must return to the brush, crouch down, gather my strength, and wait.

I’m Cole Gibsen. I write young adult and new adult fiction, compete in agility trials with my Australian Shepherd, and rock out in a band on weekends. My upcoming YA book about bullying, LIFE UNAWARE, will release April, 2015. I’ve been told I look like Hipster Ariel with my new glasses, but frankly, I don’t see the resemblance.

On this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each participating YA author, you also get a secret number. Add up the numbers, and enter it for a chance to win a major prize–one lucky winner will receive at least one signed book from each author on my team in the hunt! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online until noon PST on Sunday, October 5th!

You can start right here or you can also go to the YA Scavenger Hunt “How to Hunt” Page to find out all about the hunt. There are TWO contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or both! I am a part of the GOLD TEAM–but there is also other teams and if you also enter their hunts you’ll have a chance to win a whole different set of signed books!If you’d like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, see the full list of prizes up for grabs, or if you get lost along the way, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt homepage.

Looking for my exclusive bonus content??? Somewhere on this blog hop, I’ve hidden an exclusive video of Captain Jack Sparrow reading my author bio. You are NOT going to want to miss that.. You’ll have to follow the links at the end of each Scavenger Hunt Post. .

Before you go on though, check out the amazing author I’m hosting. But, first, a few rules.

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE

Directions: Below, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the red team, and then add them up (don’t worry, you can use a calculator!). Hint: the secret number is highlighted in GOLD.

Entry Form: Once you’ve added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by April 6th, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

Now that all the technical stuff is out of the way, I’ll introduce the author I am hosting on this hunt.

I am super excited to be hosting…

PATTY BLOUNT

Bio: Technical writer by day, author by night, Patty Blount’s contemporary novels for teens including SEND, TMI, and the just-released SOME BOYS all cover internet bullying in different forms. Fueled by a serious chocolate addiction, Patty loves hearing from readers almost as much as she loves chocolate, so visit her website at pattyblount.com or follow her on Twitter @pattyblount. Patty will choose a random reader who signs up for her newsletter (see the website for details) to receive a signed copy of her debut novel, SEND.

The book Patty is showcasing on the fall hunt is:

Some Boys go too far. Some Boys don’t see you. Some Boys will break your heart. When Grace meets Ian she’s afraid. Afraid he’ll reject her like the rest of the school, like her own family. Call her a slut and a liar. But…he doesn’t. He’s funny and kind with secrets of his own. But how do you trust the best friend of the boy who raped you? How do you believe in love?

and Gavin can’t wait around for her memories to return. They’ll have to journey across the Outlands of the Surface to find help, and in the end, their search may just lead them back to the place it all started.

Doesn’t that sound amazing? You have to put this book on your to-read list now! For more information about this book or to check out Patty’s other books, check out her website.

Patty has an amazing book trailer on her website. I think I watched it 4 times in a row.

Now for the top-secret deleted scene.

This deleted scene originally took place immediately after Ian and Zac’s fight following Ian’s discovery of the video that proved what Zac did. My editor and I decided to pull it because it didn’t truly advance the plot. However, it does provide a touching moment between Ian and Grace, so I hope you enjoy it.

Deleted SOME BOYS scene:

Mr. Russell skids to a stop in front of the emergency room. We abandon the car, race inside and find Ian in a trauma room, blood flowing from his face and head, bruises darkening his skin. A whole team of people in scrubs surround him, poking, pressing, stabbing.

There’s a thick collar around his neck, an IV line in his arm. They’d cut off most of his clothes. One doctor presses at the huge bruise on his chest and Ian doesn’t twitch. Another doctor drags an instrument over the bottom of his foot.

This is all my fault. I press my hands to my mouth, hold back the sob.

“How is he? Oh, God, please tell me, how is he?” Mr. Russell grabs one of the doctors shining a light into Ian’s eyes but a nurse forces us back outside, insisting a doctor will be out to talk to us in a minute.

We collapse into chairs and I bury my face in my hands. Beside me, Mr. Russell shakes, like he’s trying hard not to cry. It takes ages, but finally, the door opens and someone comes out.

“He was lucky. There’s definitely another concussion, but no skull fracture, which is something of a miracle. His ribs are bruised but don’t appear to be broken. We’ll take some x-rays to be sure and do an MRI, check his organs for internal damage.”

Mr. Russell slumps back to his seat and Dr. Reid sits next to him. Her scrubs are bloody and I try not to stare at the splotches and just focus on her face. She’s so young. She doesn’t look that much older than me.

“He’s not out of the woods, though. The multiple concussions he’s sustained over such a short period of time will no doubt leave some mild cognitive impairment.”

“I’ve contacted his neurologist; he’ll be here soon to consult, but sports are definitely out.” She flips through notes on a clipboard.

Mr. Russell nods but his face is still gray.

“He has numerous abrasions on his hands, bruising on his legs.” Dr. Reid shakes her head. “But I’m not worried about those. Any questions, have me paged. You can see him as soon as we get him settled.” With a nod, Dr. Reid blends into the sea of white coats and green scrubs.

Mr. Russell sags in his chair and I put a hand on his arm. “You need to call home.”

“Home? Oh, God. You’re right.” And then he bursts into tears. I hug Ian’s dad and apologize over and over for causing all this trouble. “No, Grace. No. None of this was your fault.”

But it was. I should have listened to my mother and fled to Europe, changed my name. But I didn’t. I stayed and I fought and now, Ian’s life is completely ruined.

The hours crawl by.

My parents arrive soon after Ian’s whole family. Coach Brill and Mr. Jordan are here. A hand squeezes my shoulder and when I look up, I’m dumbfounded to find Khatiri standing in front of me with a woman I can only guess is her mother. We fill every ugly plastic chair in the waiting room, my knee bopping around like it’s battery operated until my mom covers it softly with her hand. I lean into her and try not to cry.

“Yeah. I remember.” I cross my arms and scowl. I remember the insulting questions, the pointed looks at my clothes, the shrugs whenever I asked when they would arrest Zac.

Across the room, my dad — minus his Kristie appendage — shifts uncomfortably in his chair. Beside me, Ian’s dad stands up and glares at the two detectives. “You two are the reason my son is in this hospital?”

Detective Buckley winces and puts up his hands. “I understand your hostility. You have to understand rape is a difficult crime to prove. But we wanted to tell you that Zac McMahon will be charged. He’s going to jail this time, Miss Collier.”

All I can do is nod. I’m happy with this news, of course. I just wish they’d done more when I was the victim, instead of Ian. The detectives walk to the desk, ask to speak to Ian’s doctor. One by one, people say their goodbyes and head back to their homes. Dad tries to give me a hug but I stand stiff in his arms.

“Gracie, please.”

“Just go, Dad.”

I turn back to Mom and she holds out her hand but I shake my head. “I’m not leaving him.”

“Grace, they won’t let you stay. You’re not family.”

Mr. Russell’s hand falls to my shoulder. “She can stay as long as she wants. I’ll see to it.”

Mom nods, squeezes Mr. Russell’s hand.

Ian’s sisters return home on their parents’ orders. Dr. Reid finally returns, murmuring something about test results and Ian’s room. We follow her to the elevator and down a corridor where all the rooms contain people plugged into machines. It’s hard to look, hard to breathe when we find Ian, hooked to the same machines, his face almost as white as the sheets covering him.

There’s one chair in Ian’s room. His mom sits down, picks her way slowly around the Rosary beads clutched in her hand. Mr. Russell finds one more chair, plunks it down on the other side of Ian’s bed with a squeal of metal on linoleum.

We rotate through this chair.

The hours pass with nothing but the steady zigzag of Ian’s heart rate monitor to keep us company, the periodic appearance of Dr. Reid or Terry, his nurse. They say his vitals are good. Strong. But he won’t wake up and every time I ask why, nobody has an answer for me.

Early the next morning, when the sun starts to rise, his parents go off in search of coffee. It’s my turn in the chair and I sit, hunched over Ian’s bed, clutching his hand. His knuckles are scraped raw. “Come on, Ian. Wake up.” My voice tastes like sand and sounds even worse. His hand twitches in mine. “Ian? Ian, wake up!” He blinks a few times and then grins weakly at me, and I see that one tooth that’s just a little darker than all the others and think it’s the most beautiful smile ever grinned.

“Hey, bright eyes.” He blinks some more and finally gets that he’s in a hospital. He tries to sit up a little, winces, touches his head. “Fuck, another concussion?”

“Yeah. And some stitches.” I watch him for the rage I’m sure he’ll feel when it sinks in that he can’t play sports again — not if he wants to live. But it never forms.

“Zac?”

“Arrested.”

He nods once, sighing.

“How do you feel?”

“Hungry.”

I pull out my phone, text his dad.

“My parents?”

I nod. “Getting coffee. I told them to bring you back something. Everybody’s been here all night. Your sisters left a few hours ago to grab showers and some clothes for you.” He glances down, notices the hospital gown and blushes a little, which is good because he’s really pale. It makes me smile. “Coach Brill and Mr. Jordan were here, too. And even Khatiri.”

“Sound shocked.” His voice sounds even scratchier than mine.

I meet his eyes and after a minute, nod once. “I guess I am. I can’t believe I made a friend.”

Wincing, he shifts higher in his bed and traces the studs on my cuff. “You made more than that.”

I blink down at him, not sure what he’s saying — not sure if he knows what he’s saying.

With a wide, crooked smile, he whispers, “Love you.”

Okay, now I’m positive he has no idea what he’s saying. I glance at the IV bag over his bed and wonder what the hell they put in there.

His face falls. “Don’t believe me?”

Oh, God, I hurt his feelings. “I want to believe you, but you’re concussed, you’re on who knows what drugs, and you’re probably a little brain damaged, so–” I trail off with a sigh. God in heaven, I want it to be true with a wish — a need so potent, it brings those stupid tears to sting the back of my eyes and this time, I’m ready to just let them flow because damn it, this is Ian, this is the boy I love back and —

“You’re mine.”

I narrow my eyes, not sure I heard him right. “I’m what?”

His grin turns sly. “You’re my girl, my woman, my main—”

I open my mouth to argue but then, all the sly drips out of his grin.

“Grace, the truth is, I’m yours.”

I freeze while that sinks in and then I’m crying. He wipes my eyes with the sheet on his bed and holds it up for my inspection. “Look, no Gothic black this time.”

Ian’s parents rush in, bearing a muffin and a carton of juice. “How do you feel, Ian?” Mr. Russell asks.

“Hungry.”

His dad’s relieved grin is hard to resist and now, we’re all smiling and sniffling back tears.

“Well, eat. Dr. Reid said it’s fine.” Mrs. Russell punches a straw through the carton of juice and holds it to Ian’s mouth, but Ian waves her off. He can hold the carton by himself. He eats the muffin slowly, drains the juice, his eyes low.

Mr. Russell exchanges a glance with his wife. “Son, you scared the hell out of us.”

Ian’s lips flatten into a tight line. A moment later, he nods, but still won’t look up. “Sorry.”

Mr. Russell opens his mouth, but Mrs. Russell squeezes his hand and jerks her head at the door. He gives her a look that plainly demands to know if she’s out of her mind. After a moment, he nods and heads for the door. “We’ll give you two some time alone.”

Ian’s eyes snap up at that and the moment the door closes after them, he laughs and immediately goes still, all the color draining from his face.

“Ian!”

After a moment, he slowly lets out a breath. “Okay. I’m okay. Laughing. Bad idea. Really bad.” He presses a hand to his chest where the huge bruise is while I stand there like a moron. Do I call his parents back? Fetch a nurse? Oh, God.

“I’m okay, Grace. Sit down.” He pats the bed next to him and my jaw drops.

“Are you out of your mind?” And I roll my eyes. Of course he is. Stupid question.

“Just for a minute.” He tugs on my hand.

Reluctantly, I sit next to him but he doesn’t let go of my hand.

“I’m really sorry.”

“For what?” I’d already forgiven him for that stupid stunt in the cafeteria the other day.

He sinks a little lower in the bed. “For not having the guts to ask you out when I had the chance. Everything that happened to you is my fault.”

I think about that for a minute. From what I know about the stupid code guys have, maybe it’s true Zac never would have asked me out if I’d been with Ian. And Miranda wouldn’t have turned on me because Zac would have been free to notice her. And Lindsay wouldn’t have sided with Miranda. My mom’s car wouldn’t have been trashed. Damn it, if he’d asked me out months ago, I could have kept my life and —

Jesus. I stop the thought spiral when it hits me that I’m doing exactly what everyone else did — blaming the wrong person.

Slowly, I shake my head. “The only person to blame for my rape is Zac. Not me and definitely not you.”

“But if I—”

“No, Ian. Just him.”

I love bonus material! If you think this series is just what you’ve been looking for, you can buy your copies here.

Thank you so much for visiting my website! While you’re here don’t forget to check out my previous post regarding #OneVoice–the anti-bullying awareness campaign run by Entangled Publishing and Dear Teen Me. It’s definitely something you’re not going to want to miss.

]]>http://www.colegibsen.com/uncategorized/its-time-for-the-2014-fall-ya-scavenger-hunt/feed/2Take a stand against bullying. Join Entangled Publishing and Dear Teen Me as they raise awareness with #OneVoicehttp://www.colegibsen.com/uncategorized/take-a-stand-against-bullying-join-entangled-publishing-and-dear-teen-me-as-they-raise-awareness-with-onevoice/
http://www.colegibsen.com/uncategorized/take-a-stand-against-bullying-join-entangled-publishing-and-dear-teen-me-as-they-raise-awareness-with-onevoice/#commentsWed, 01 Oct 2014 14:00:37 +0000http://www.colegibsen.com/?p=126Continue reading →]]>As some of you may know, October is National Bullying Prevention Month. I’m thrilled to be a part of #OneVoice, an initiative started by Entangled Publishing and Dear Teen Me to raise awareness of bullying, as well as to open a dialogue to discuss solutions.

With cyber bullying on the rise as well as the amount of teen suicides, it can often feel like bullying is a plague without a cure.

But there is.

My voice is small, barely a whisper of sound in the everyday buzz of life. And so is yours. But together they become something more. Louder. More powerful. And the more people that join in our cry, the more we will be heard until we’re a crash of sound creating change in our wake.

This is my hope. This is my dream.

I pledge to take a stand against bullying this day and everyday. To raise my voice alongside my brothers and sisters until we are an army that can’t be ignored. #OneVoice

To learn more about the cause, and to read my story on my own, personal battle with bullying, please click on the banner below.

]]>http://www.colegibsen.com/uncategorized/take-a-stand-against-bullying-join-entangled-publishing-and-dear-teen-me-as-they-raise-awareness-with-onevoice/feed/2Pitch Wars!!!http://www.colegibsen.com/uncategorized/pitch-wars/
http://www.colegibsen.com/uncategorized/pitch-wars/#commentsSun, 03 Aug 2014 23:20:39 +0000http://www.colegibsen.com/?p=112Continue reading →]]>It’s time for PITCH WARS! (If you aren’t sure what that is, please check out the info post here.) And you should totally pick me to be your mentor. I mean, why wouldn’t you?
But if you do need some convincing, allow me to tell you a little about myself.

I love ponies. What more do you need?

All right. Just in case you do need more, I’ve composed a short list of reasons you should pick me to be your mentor.

I’m the author of the young adult KATANA trilogy currently out through Flux. Happily, book one sold out of its first printing.

My next young adult book–THE SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERIMENT–about a bully who gets a taste of her own medicine, comes out September 23rd through Entangled. I am so, so, SO excited for this book.

I’m currently under contract for four new adult books as well as another young adult, all of which will be coming out in the next two years.

Why else should you pick me? Did I mention I love ponies? I’m also a network representative for my local SCBWI chapter and have assisted many authors on their path to publication.

Let’s talk about my wish list.

Young adult. Really compelling, kick you in the pants young adult.

Specifically:

If you’re giving me a contemporary novel, I’m going to need a character driven book. I LOVE emotion. Make me laugh. Make me cry. Whatever you do, give me a character who will make me feel ALL THE FEELS.

Romance–this goes for any subgenre of young adult. I am such a sucker for romance, but nothing turns me off more than cheese. Keep the sappy, eye-rolling insta-love. I’m looking for the slow to simmer page-burning romance. Organic feelings and believability are key.

A magical world. I would love a good fantasy that transports me to a well-crafted world I can submerge myself into.

If you’re giving me a paranormal or a dystopian, I’m going to need a plot driven book. While I don’t mind the feels, I’m going to need plenty of action to keep things moving.

A love of ponies. Okay, I’m flexible on this one–but not by much.

If you do decide to submit to me–and I hope you do–please keep in mind I’m hardcore when it comes to whipping manuscripts in shape. You must have thick skin and understand I edit for publication. No pain, no gain. It’s not that I want to make the red pen bleed, I want you to succeed! Okay, maybe I want it to bleed a little…

Thank you so much for stopping by my page! If you think we’ll be a good match PICK ME!!! But make sure you also check out the other mentors and their wish lists just to be sure. We’re here because we’re excited to read your work and we want to you succeed! Good luck!

Mister Linky’s Magical Widgets — Easy-Linky widget will appear right here!
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]]>http://www.colegibsen.com/uncategorized/pitch-wars/feed/18The Cover for THE SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERIMENT REVEALED!http://www.colegibsen.com/uncategorized/the-cover-for-the-social-media-experiment-revealed/
http://www.colegibsen.com/uncategorized/the-cover-for-the-social-media-experiment-revealed/#respondFri, 11 Jul 2014 21:39:07 +0000http://www.colegibsen.com/?p=106Continue reading →]]>You guys! You have no idea how excited I am about THE SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERIMENT releasing SEPTEMBER 2nd!!!

By far it was one of the most difficult books for me to write. As someone who dealt with bullying in school as well as a sufferer of anxiety, I really had to confront my demons in order to write this book. In the end, I like to think I came out stronger for it. Here’s a teeny-tiny snippet.

Why did hate bleed from their hearts onto the walls? Aside from the declarations of love, why were the bathroom stalls dripping with venom? Where was the hope amidst the poison?

~ THE SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERIMENT by Cole Gibsen

So now for the grand unveiling…

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TADA!!!

I am seriously so in love with this cover. And if you noticed the equally awesome countdown widget on the side of my website, you can get your own by copying this code and pasting it into your own blog or website: